'A momentous occasion': Fota welcomes five baby lemurs to Cork

Fota Wildlife Park is celebrating the arrival of five endangered ring-tailed lemur babies and has invited the public to help name them.

The birth of the five babies has been hailed in Fota as “a momentous occasion”, and the four proud mams, Quinta, Aqua, Brida, and Dolly, known as DC, are delighted with the new arrivals, who bring Fota’s free-range group of ring-tailed lemurs to a total of 14.

The babies’ dad, Merlot, is a busy four-year-old French lad who joined Fota Wildlife Park from Parc Zoo du Reynou in 2022.

Lemurs, as any young animation fan will tell you, hail from the island of Madagascar, and ring-tailed lemurs are currently classified as endangered.

Recent reports suggest that there has been a 95% reduction in the wild population of ring-tailed lemurs since 1990, with only 3,000 ring-tailed lemurs remaining in the wild.

Fota’s lead ranger, Teresa Power said everyone in the wildlife park was delighted to welcome the five baby lemurs.

“Ring-tailed lemurs are synonymous with Fota Wildlife Park, and have been present since we opened the gates over 40 years ago.

“They are a free-roaming species so they don’t have a specific habitat and can go where they please around the Palm Walk Islands,” Ms Power said.

“One of the unique aspects of the park is our free ranging animals, such as wallabies and kangaroos, and our visitors delight in seeing many of these species crossing their path.” 

The first of Fota’s new baby lemurs arrived on March 22, when three-year-old DC gave birth, and two days later she was followed by eight-year-old Aqua, who welcomed twins, making DC an aunt as well as a mother. Subsequently, seven-year-old Brida delivered her baby on March 25, and most recently, on the evening of April, 10-year-old Quinta gave birth.

“Our ring-tailed lemurs are not only an iconic species but also a testament to the importance of conservation efforts,” Ms Power said.

For a chance to name the new baby lemurs, and to be in with a chance to win one of five conservation annual passes, see fotawildlife.ie.